Giants' Bruce Johnson realizes urgency to improve his play

Joe Camporeale/US PresswireGiants cornerback Bruce Johnson, who was beat here by Bears wide receiver Joe Anderson on a touchdown Friday night, said he's still working on his technique as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon.

I was wondering why so many people were all over Kenny Phillips for the first touchdown the Giants gave up to the Bears on Friday night. It wasn’t until I watched the broadcast today when I heard Dan Dierdorf criticizing Phillips that it all made sense.

But Dierdorf, whose opinions are very strong even when very off-base (see the untimed down note below), didn’t properly break down the play for the audience.

You see, Phillips was clearly upset with the way Bruce Johnson played that one because Johnson, as the cornerback in a Cover-2 look, should’ve funneled Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall toward the middle of the field so Phillips could’ve had a better shot to cover him.

For those who read our Giants practice reports and see how defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is always talking about “leverage,” that’s what he means. Johnson should’ve maintained outside leverage.

“Bad technique on my part,” Johnson said after the game.

Okay, enough picking on Johnson. That’s not what I set out to do here. Rather, he was very honest on Friday night while assessing his play as he comes back from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in camp last summer, so I wanted to pass that along to you.

“I’ll be ready. I’ve just got to tighten up on my technical things,” Johnson said when asked if he’ll be needed to play a big role in light of the potential loss of Prince Amukamara for a bit. “I’ve been out for a year and a half, almost two years (since his last game), so I’m still getting back into the swing of things. Coach says he wants me to move a little quicker, which is no problem. I understand that fully. I’m just going to keep working, do what I have to do, work on my craft and get better.”

Johnson, if you recall from his pick six against the Cowboys in 2009, has been a nice little player for the Giants in the past. He has to find that form again, especially after giving up the touchdown to Marshall and getting beat for another one when wide receiver Joe Anderson beat him on a spin move after catching a hook.

“I think he wants me to (make) a little bit more plays on the ball,” Johnson said of what his coach is telling him. “But I’m getting back into it and I’m coming along pretty well.”

Asked if it’s all a part of the recovery process, Johnson replied, “Yes it is. Being out of football for almost a year and a half, two years, seeing the reads and everything, getting back into the swing of things. I’m progressing but he wants me to move a little bit quicker.”

* * * *

Some other leftover notes and observations from the game, minus a good portion of the fourth quarter, which I haven’t yet scanned:

--Phillips has been outstanding in flying up into the box to provide run support this preseason. He’s been the deep safety for this team but wants to be a presence down low as well. He’s on his way to accomplishing that goal.

--Credit the replacement refs with a few good calls early on – the false start on QB Eli Manning, which was a false start because Manning flinched with his hands and didn’t get the snap from C David Baas, picking up the flag on what would’ve been a really bad call on Phillips for a hit to the head on an incomplete pass over Marshall’s head and then the untimed down at the end of the first quarter. All in all, this crew did a very good job, especially compared to what we’ve seen throughout the preseason.

--As for the untimed down at the end of the first quarter, which Dierdorf strongly believed was a mistake before admitting he was “confused,” it’s the right call … provided Tom Coughlin asked for it. I’ve seen that happen at least once in a Giants game before (I can’t recall which one) when Coughlin or the opposing coach wanted to keep the wind at his team’s back for one more play. There was no wind to worry about last night, so I’m not sure that Coughlin asked for it. I don’t know what the rules are in regard to whether the officials can make that call on their own.

--Still, LT David Diehl’s waving off his holding call pretty much said it all when it comes to what these players think of the replacements. It was a wave that seemed to say, “Whatever. I know it wasn’t a hold. And I know my coach won’t think it’s a hold.” Two plays later, Diehl didn’t want to finish his block on DE Israel Idonije because he was afraid it would be called a hold. Diehl threw up his hands and Manning was able to avoid Idonije’s edge rush.

--Reading Bears QB Jay Cutler’s lips after the touchdown to Marshall, he went all Jesse Pinkman with the word he used at the end there in reference to Johnson, I assume. Unless you watch “Breaking Bad,” you’ll be left out on this one. Sorry.

--Should the Giants face the Bears at some point (which obviously would be in the postseason), I’d recommend running the wide receiver reverse away from DE Julius Peppers, not toward him. Baas couldn’t get there because he bumped into RG Chris Snee, but still…

--RB David Wilson had to break some tackles from Bears defenders and also had to leap FB Henry Hynoski, who went low on a lot of blocks, a few times. “Henry, I like the way he blocks,” Wilson said with a laugh. “He really gets after it and he takes a lot of pride in it.”

--The Bears’ postgame quote transcripts were surprisingly lively. First, LT J’Marcus Webb on whether he won the starting job: “Man, we have to look at the film. I think that, in addition to the chicken and the shrimp and the pasta, that really made it a good night.” Then, P Ryan Quigley on the blocked punt: “Yeah, I was telling my buddy, whenever I get the ball in my hands I just need to relax a little, rather than freak out and doing something with it. That’s why I’m a punter.” And finally, the coup de grâce, CB Charles Tillman on his 10th preseason: “Yeah, 40 bull(bleep) extra games in my career. Well, that was the 39th. Sorry, Cleveland will be 40. I’ve been keeping track.”

--DT Markus Kuhn was able disrupt a few plays, including a hurry late in the second quarter. Kuhn bull-rushed LG Chilo Rachal and forced Cutler to throw an ugly off-balance pass to Forte, which landed behind the running back. Kuhn continues to impress.

--RB Da’Rel Scott said he needs to make himself as valuable as possible to make the team and he showed some value on special teams with a blocked punt late in the first half. He used his speed to just blow by Harvery Unga without a touch. Too bad the broadcast crew got confused with the two No. 33s on the roster and kept saying it was CB Dante Hughes instead of Scott.

--Tremendous play by LB Mark Herzlich to force a fumble while being blocked on a kickoff late in the first half. That was one of the balls the Bears put on the ground not recovered by the Giants, which angered Coughlin. Herzlich, by the way, had his shoulder wrapped after the game but said he would be fine.

--Speaking of guys who will be fine, LB Mathias Kiwanuka told our Jorge Castillo and a few others who got him outside the postgame locker room the groin strain he suffered isn’t major and he'll be ready for the opener against the Cowboys.

--S Will Hill seemed a bit rusty, though you’d have to give him a pass because he missed time this past week to attend his grandmother’s funeral.

--OT James Brewer, playing the left side, was one of the backup linemen who had a somewhat rough night. LB Blake Costanzo beat Brewer for a big hit on QB David Carr.

--I mostly focused on DT Marcus Thomas while watching the backup defense in the third quarter. He didn’t have a very big impact, and a spin move he tried late in the third quarter didn’t work out very well. The game against the Patriots will obviously be huge for him.

--LB Spencer Paysinger was a gameday captain and it was well-deserved, considering how solid he’s been in his assignments all preseason long. Paysinger showed very good physicality to fight off a lead block and make a stop late in the third quarter.

--And finally, did CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson and/or the producer in her ear really ask WR Victor Cruz to salsa at the end of her interview? Cruz has gotten better at politely denying such requests at inappropriate times.